WGOLF Signs two to NLIs
11/19/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
SPOKANE, Wash.-The Gonzaga University women's golf program signed two future Zags to National Letters of Intent recently, welcoming Jessica Mangrobang and Nina Novilla to the Gonzaga family.
"We are very excited about Jessica and Nina," said Gonzaga head coach Brad Rickel. "They will ensure that we will continue to be a program that will compete on the national stage. We know we will continue to be one of the strongest teams in the West Coast Conference and continue to play our way into the NCAA postseason. Our program will look for them to come in next year and contribute immediately."
Jessica Mangrobang | Chula Vista, Calif. | |
Mangrobang has seen numerous successes in both amateur tours and high school golf. This year alone she's reached the Round of 32 in match play at the USGA Girls Junior Championship and competed in the USGA Women's Amateur Championships in addition to receiving Player of the Year and Team Captain honors in high school golf. In other tours over the years, she's won the Southern California PGA Junior Toyota Tour Cup Championship four times, earned three top 10 finishes on the American Junior Golf Association loop, and played in eight consecutive IMG/Callaway Junior World Golf Championships. In school golf, she's captained Mater Dei Catholic High's squad since 2012, and she's earned the League Player of the Year award all four years after going undefeated in league play as well. Mangrobang is highly-regarded in national polls as well; GolfWeek has Mangrobang as the 78th-best female junior golfer, and she's the 59th-ranked high school senior in the AJGA's Polo Golf Rankings. She's even higher on the Junior Golf Scoreboard, coming in at 37th in the country and 18th in the US' senior class. Off the course, Mangrobang is just as talented with a 3.86 GPA. Why Mangrobang chose Gonzaga: "Gonzaga offers me the chance to excel in both golf as well as focusing on mechanical engineering. I loved how the team was somewhat small and the chemistry they had with one another was like family. [Assistant coach] Victoria [Fallgren] really made sure that I would be exposed to the different types of support they give to student-athletes, like tutoring and counseling. A lot of people think that Gonzaga is pretty far from San Diego, but that's the point. I wanted to experience the different seasons, especially fall and winter, which we don't really have down in SoCal". Coach Rickel on Mangrobang: "Jessica has great experience in Southern California and nationally. She comes from a great family and is very driven to be the best student and golfer she can be. She is a great ball-striker and has a steady demeanor on the course. Jessica will fit very well into our program and is going to be a great teammate." |  |
Nina Novilla | Torrance, Calif. | |
A fellow Southern Californian, Novilla also has great experiences both in high school golf and amateur golf. She tied for eighth at the 2014 California State Championship after tying for the lead in the State Regional tournament beforehand. She's a three-time MVP of Torrance High's golf squad, and she was the 2014 Daily Breeze All-Area Girls Golfer of the Year as well. On other tours, she's also been quite successful. She took third in the inaugural Southern California Junior Amateur Golf Championship this year, and in 2014 she tied for 38th in the stroke play portion of the US Girls' Junior Championship before moving onto the event's match play competition. In 2013 she saw success on the SCPGA Junior and AJGA Tours, winning the SCPGA's Toyota Tour Cup at Desert Willow and finishing fifth at the AJGA Junior at Ruby Hill. Novilla's the AJGA's 136th-ranked high school senior despite playing in just five AJGA tournaments within the last calendar year. Why Novilla chose Gonzaga: "I chose to attend Gonzaga because the athletic and academic programs are phenomenal. I also like the small class sizes, but what caught my eye most of all was how close-knit and welcoming the community was. After taking my unofficial visit, I was convinced that Gonzaga would allow me to pursue my goals as a student-athlete. I enjoyed my time with the coaches and the team, and I'm really looking forward to having memorable experiences throughout my college career." Coach Rickel on Novilla: "Nina has been very successful in junior golf in Southern California. She is ready to take her game to the national level. Nina comes from a great family and is a perfect fit for our program. She is a consistent ball-striker and has a very solid short game. She will be a great addition to our team and will continue to get better as she gains experience." |  |
The current members of the Gonzaga women's golf team are off for the rest of the semester, but they'll resume competition Feb. 22-23 at The Gold Rush in Seal Beach, Calif.
